A Two Week Unit Plan on Tim O Brien S

The Things TheyCarried

A Fifteen Day Unit plan on Tim O’Brien’s

The Things They Carried

Nicole Sears

Unit Overview

The novel that I will be teaching in my eleventh grade literature class is The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien. The novel is a collection of “fiction based on fact” short stories that present a soldier’s experience in the Vietnam War. Not only does this novel offer tremendous insight into the experiences soldiers had in the war, but it also powerfully presents moving images through details and captivating language that make it exceptionally easy to read. The unit covers fifteen days and explores many important literary concepts (form, style, language) as well as historical elements about the Vietnam war and presents vivid characters grappling with moral and ethical dilemmas; offering students many opportunities for personal reflection.

O’Brien arranges his novel as a collection of short stories that can easily stand alone, but flow together seamlessly to create a fluid and moving narrative. The class will read the book mainly for homework, and respond to assigned questions in their reader response journals. We will discuss the chapters and students’ responses in class.

Assessment for this unit will be based on In-Class performances (30% of Grade), Completion of a portfolio consisting of journal responses/ creative writing based on journal entries, charts completed in class, and essay assignments (40% of Grade), and the completion of a poetry and fiction Webquest about The Things They Carried (30% of Grade). Students will be given all assignments and requirements for the final portfolio as well as a unit grading rubric early in the unit to ensure that they understand what is expected of them and stay on task.

The subject of the novel and the form and style of the book itself offers the opportunity to easily integrate lessons that include performance and interactive internet-based lessons. This unit should be an enjoyable and rewarding experience for both teacher and students.

Unit Calendar

Lesson 1
Intro to Vietnam War, Pre-Reading-
KWL Chart,
Performance-
Interviews,
Free Write-Letters / Lesson 2
What do You Carry?
Performance- Rate the Weight
Cataloguing / Lesson 3
Let’s Talk About Love
Detail Drumming
Oxymorons / Lesson 4
Allegory, Symbolism, Politics, Man!
Movie clip- Pinocchio
Symbolism
Internal Conflict / Lesson 5
Who Can We Trust?
Performance- Scene Reconstruction
Subtext Exercise
Lesson 6
Storytelling True or False?
“False Fact” Sheet
Begin “True War Story Newscast” Project / Lesson 7
Mary Mary Quite Contrary
Web Research- Women in Vietnam
Continue Newscast Project / Lesson 8
How to Dress For Church: Ironically
Music clip-
Alanis Morissette’s ”Ironic”
Irony/Symbolism- “Symbol Shout Out” Activity
Continue Newscast Project / Lesson 9
The Dead Man Speaks, O’Brien Answers
Point of View
Performance- Split Read
Continue Newscast Project / Lesson 10
STUDENTPERFORMANCE
“TRUE WAR STORY NEWSCAST”
Lesson 11
Courage: A Work in Progress
Tableaux Vivant- “Style”
Writing Activity- “Write About Writing” / Lesson 12
Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire!
Contradictions-
Read Around
Match Game-
“Story-Truth”
”Happening-Truth”
Unreliable Narrator / Lesson 13
Tim O’Brien: Master of Suspense
Suspense/Dark Imagery
Write Around-
“Scary Stories” / Lesson 14
Releasing the Inner Child
Allegory
Web Activity- Excerpts from O’Brien’s speech, “Writing Vietnam" / Lesson 15
Happily Ever After?
Final Discussion
Complete KWL Chart
Summary Activity
-“One-Liners”
Final Assignments

Lesson 1 What do You Know About That?

What’s On For Today And wHy? / Today we will brainstorm what we know and what we hope to learn about the Vietnam War. We will discuss predictions about the novel based on KWL charts,and we will read (and perform) primary source documents from the War. This will help prepare students to read and comprehend the novel.
What to do / 1. KWL Chart
Hand out KWL Charts to each student and have them break into groups of four. While in their groups, they will brainstorm what they know about being a soldier in the Vietnam War and fill it in under the “K” (What You Know) column. Then the groups will continue filling in the chart with the “W” (What You Want to Learn) column, listing things they hope to learn after reading the novel. The last column, “L” (What You Have Learned) will be filled in later. Each group will be asked to share their lists with the class while a master KWL chart is compiled. This master chart should be displayed in the classroom throughout the unit.
2. In Their Own Words- Free Writing
Distribute copies of letters from Vietnam soldiers to each student. Have two or three students read each letter aloud. Ask students to write for a few minutes a short response to the letters (a letter back to the soldier, another letter from the soldier, etc.) Students who would like to may share their responses with the class
3. In Their Own Words- Performance
Hand out copies of an interview with a Vietnam Veteran to students. Assign roles to students (interviewer, interviewee) and have them perform the interviews aloud.
Ask students to share their thoughts on the similarities and differences between the letters and the interviews.
4. Homework
Distribute copies of the novel, the unit’s grading rubric and the journal questions. Students should read “The Things They Carried” for homework and answer journal question #1.
How Did It Go? / If the students had a general idea of what being a Vietnam soldier meant when they came in, their scope of knowledge should at this point be narrowing through the KWL activity and experiencing actual soldiers’ own words. They should have a more specific frame of reference as we begin the novel.

Lesson 1 Handouts- KWL Chart

KWL CHART

Use this chart to gather your background information about what it was like to be a soldier in the Vietnam War. In the “K” column, list everything you know (or even kind of know) about the topic. In the “W” column, list everything you want to know about the topic. We will fill in the “L” column later when we see what you have actually learned from reading the book.

K
(What I know about this topic) / W
(What I’d like to know about this topic) / L
(What I have learned about this topic)

Lesson 1 Handouts

In Their Own Words

The following is an actual letter sent from a soldier in Vietnam to his wife.

25 May, 1968

Dear Roberta,

Today is probably the worst day I have ever lived in my entire, short life. Once again we were in contact with Charlie, and once again we suffered losses. The losses we had today hit home, as my best friend in this shit hole was killed. He was only 22 years old and was going on R&R on the first of June to meet his wife in Hawaii. I feel that if I was only a half second sooner in pulling the trigger, he would still be alive.

Strange how short a time a half of a second is--the difference between life and death. This morning we were talking about how we were only two years different in age and how we both had gotten married before coming to this place. You know, I can still feel his presence as I write this letter and hope that I am able to survive and leave this far behind me.

If there is a place called Hell this surely must be it, and we must be the Devil's disciples doing all his dirty work. I keep asking myself if there is a God, then how the hell come young men with so much to live for have to die. I just hope that his death is not in vain.

I look forward to the day when I will take my R&R. If I play my cards right, I should be able to get it for Hawaii so our anniversary will be in that time frame. The reason I say this is by Sept., I will have more than enough time in country to get my pick of places and dates. I promise I will do everything necessary to insure that I make that date, and I hope that tomorrow is quiet.

We will be going into base camp soon for our three-day stand down. I will try to write you a longer letter at that time. Please don't worry too much about me, as if you won't, for I will take care of myself and look forward to the day I am able to be with you again.

Love,
Stan

Lesson 1 Handouts

In Their Own Words The following is an actual letter sent from a Vietnam soldier to his family.

11-Sept.-69

Dear Mom and Dad,

Getting short, Mom, coming home pretty soon. Going to quit flying soon, too much for me now. I went in front of a board for sp/5 will know soon if i made it. I have now 20 oak leaf clusters and some more paper for you. I have flown 1500 hours now, and in those hours I could tell you a lifetime story. I have been put in for a medal again, but this time I have seen far beyond of what ever you will see. That is why I'm going to quit flying. I dream of Valerie's hand touching mine telling me to come home; but I wake up, and it's some sergeant telling me I have to fly. Today I am 21, far away but coming home older.

Love,
Larry

I'm sad to say, Larry died within 24 hours after this letter was written

Lesson 1 Handouts

In Their Own Words

The following are interviews conducted bytwo High School students with a Vietnam Veteran.

Dear Student: I will try to answer your questions for your research project.

1. Q: What branch of the military did you serve in?
A: U.S. Army, 19th Combat Engineers (I would like to invite you to visit our 19th Combat Engineer Battalion, AssociationVietnam webpage). We built the roads and bridges, while being ambushed, stepping on landmines and booby traps.

2. Q: What was your rank?
A: Sergeant. I had 18 men, with lots of explosives and weapons of various types of firepower. I got out and came home in August of 1967 and couldn't buy a beer for four months, as I wasn't yet 21.

3. Q: Where were you stationed?
A: Near the village of Tam Quan, 1/2 klick away, on the South China Sea, the same place where, then LTC Schwartzkopf took 50% casualties on his ARVN Ranger battalion in just 3 hours as they tried to cross a rice paddy at the village of Tam Quan.

4. Q: Where and when did you see battle? What was it like?
A: Tam Quan. We were operating large and noisy air compressors to run two-men air driven chain saws ten feet long. My crew was clearing the jungle and coconut trees just outside our perimeter to create a safety zone, when we were caught in the cross-fire of an ambush by the VC and 1st Cav.
We didn't notice right away because our equipment was noisier than the battle. In a typical noisy Engineer task, one doesn't know you are being shot at until the dirt spits up at you or windshields start shattering or someone gets hit.

5. Q: What do you remember most about your service in Vietnam?
A: This is just one example of many which occurred: Even then, my crew would always remark that we are so lucky to have been born an American. In Vietnam, the people of the North are of a different descent, class and culture from those of the South. The people of the South feared those of the North, who many times would enter a village and grab the town mayor, school teachers and others who were educated, line them up and force the entire village to watch as these people were executed. Then, they would instruct the others that Americans were the "true" enemy and they would suffer the same penalties if they were seen aiding the Americans, then they would impose a crop "tax" where each family had to provide a large percentage of their crops to the VC and NVA.
Most Americans do not realize how fortunate we are. Other than the Civil War, our country hadn't been destroyed by war, our women didn't have to sell their bodies to feed their children, while living in filthy unsanitary conditions.

6. Q: What was the saddest thing that happened to you during the war?
A: Each and every time I lost a buddy to an ambush, mine, or booby trap. And after a crew was ambushed and didn't survive, when we go out to do a body recovery . . . many times they had been castrated, sometimes, some had still been alive at the time--then they were executed. It was very disappointing that Walter Cronkite (national news commentator) never reported this to the American public.

7. Q: What was the most rewarding?
A: To see that we were doing some good in helping the people. Guys in our unit wrote home and asked family members to send clothes that their children or siblings had out-grown. It was great to see the smiling faces on the children of St. St. Joseph's Orphanage, near Qui Nhon, each and every time we would take a load of clothes and other items to donate to them.
Also, the villagers of Bong Son, who always warned us of an ambush or where a mine was placed. The villagers did this because in Oct 1966 they had been used in a battle as "human shields" by the 22nd NVA regiment.
When the NVA attacked, the 19th was repairing a major bridge they had blown. The battle lasted all through the night. The next day our Battalion Surgeon, Thomas Reardon, had his 5 medics set-up 5 tents and for the next 36 hours they treated over 800 villagers non-stop and with no sleep. They had lost about 700 or 800 of their relatives because of the NVA attack.

8. Q: At the time, what did you think you were fighting for?
A: We were there at the request of the people of South Vietnam to aid and teach them in how to improve their lot so they could resist the infiltration by the North Vietnamese Army. Those of the South, were not as technically educated as those of the North.

9. Q: Who was the enemy?
A: North Vietnam, and the United States "State Department," and our Secretery of Defense (Robert McNamara), who would not allow our military leaders to do the jobs they had been trained for. That job was to conduct battle with as few allied casualties as possible, while inflicting the maximum damage on the enemy. But we were also trained to render assistance to the civilians who were affected as well--something North Vietnam did not do.

10. Q: How have your war experiences changed your life?
A: A better understanding that our government and our politicians do not represent the best interests of the American people. Even when the nation is engaged in a war, politicians are more concerned about their next re-election, and how they can line their pockets for future retirement. Election promises are not kept, and lately, credibility and integrity are not in today's politicians vocabulary.

11. Q: What one lesson do you think I should learn from remembering Vietnam?
A: The success of WWII was a direct result of the WWI soldier's generation maturing and making strategy plans for the way WWII would be conducted. They bombed the beaches before the D-Day invasion, as well as the ball-bearing factories at Schwienfurt, Germany. They were prepared to win and not fight only to a political stalemate.
The 18 or 20 year old soldier of WWII, was the generation who were the Commanders and Staff Planners for the Korea War and Vietnam War. In Vietnam, they were restricted by orders from the State Department and Secretary of State, and not allowed to pursue strategic bombing of Hanoi when it would have been most effective. Our pilots were not allowed to bomb acres and acres of SAM missiles stored in the HaiphongHarbor and around Hanoi. Only after they were established as actual missile sites in the jungle were our pilots allowed to engage the SAMs. They weren't allowed to bomb the Ho Chi Minh Trail in countries bordering Vietnam (Cambodia and Laos), although those countries were looking the other way when the NVA were using them for a safe haven. Had the WWI soldier who made the plans for WWII conducted themselves in such a manner, the result of WWII would have been much different.

Gene Kuentzler, Sgt.
19th Combat Engineer Battalion
S-3 Battalion Operations, '66-'67

1. Q: Upon your return to the United States, what was your reaction to the news coverage on the war in Vietnam?
A: I was devastated, Upon my return in August 1967, I was very disappointed to see the biased news coverage showing Americans as having a disregard for the people. They weren't showing the many good things were continually being done by the soldiers in my unit, and others. Although we took casualties on a regular basis. Ours were not the only humanitarian efforts being performed, many other units were also contributing to efforts to help the people. The news media has never shown how our unit supported an orphanage, and also a leper colony. Our guys would write home and have used clothing from their siblings or children shipped over, and regularly these items were part of what we continually donated, as well as food.
Also in portraying us as baby killers when they played up the Mi Lai killings. What was never made public is that Mi Lai was colored "pink" on all our maps, it was nicknamed pinkville which meant it was a very strong communist village. Each and every time that unit patrolled past there, they lost more & more buddies. Upon entering the village to search out the enemy, they would only find women and children who were the families of the VC, the males all hid and could not be found.
To better understand, look around your classroom and visualize that today the friend next to your left dies, tomorrow the one seated behind you dies, then next day the two or three to your right are gone. Imagine this taking place daily for a month. How would you feel? Not-ONCE did the media ever show what the enemy was doing to American soldiers they captured. One example was when our heavy equipment platoon was ambushed, after running out of ammunition and putting up a good fight, they were overrun. When the bodies were recovered they had been stacked in the road like cordwood . . . everyone had been castrated, I heard that some had still been alive at the time. 2. Q: What do you remember about your trip home?
A: The first thing I had to have on my return was a gallon of vanilla ice cream, a gallon of milk, a steak, and some private companionship, not necessarily in that order.
I'll never forget my first morning home. I was outside just at daybreak and enjoying the early morning smell of the fresh air with a cup of coffee. (Vietnam smells awful, everything is either growing or rotting) I was unable to sleep because of the time change and my inner thoughts . . . Wondering if I was just dreaming and something again would startle me awake to reality that I was still there. Once I realized I was actually home, I started to feel as if I'd abandoned my buddies . . . here I was now safe . . . as it was now morning for me . . . when it would be morning for them I could visualize everything they'd be doing. Washing, eating chow then going out on the road to do minesweeps and my crew clearing more jungle and encountering more boobytraps and mines left by the NVA.